It will be screened as part of the London 2012 ‘Hansel of Film’ event curated by Mark Kermode and Linda Ruth Williams, at Salisbury Arts Centre, 7.30pm on Thursday 12th July, and at the Harbour Lights Cinema, Southampton at 2pm on Sunday 15th July,

And it’s free! Come along!!

hansel2012.org

More info here

Can;t wait to be there and see the rest of the show…

Let me know if you can make it…

Scroll down to find ‘Two Different Shoes’.

Sunday 19th was Wild West afternoon at Hepwright’s to launch my new work on sale. Cue high-kicking, gold boots and high jinks, with cowboy pseudonyms, live collage and Wagon Wheels all round!!

Check out Hepwright’s Facebook page for more pics of the day!

Contact me if you want more details or you can’t get to the store…

Three Hats collage

Coffee & croissants collage

The Object as collected from Quay Arts on Saturday 19th March

Here are some pics of my Relay work-in-progress over the weekend, and now in situ in the Learning Curve Gallery at Quay Arts next to Tim Johnson’s beautiful skull made from the chess pieces. You can keep up with the latest incarnations of the artworks here

and, coming soon, read about my work over on Rules and Regs’ Relay blog

work-in-progress

first draft

work-in-progress

'A Long Drawn Out War' in the Learning Curve Gallery

It’s run by Rules & Regs and the deal is: an object is selected by the curator then six selected artists take it in turns to remove, alter and replace the object each week.

I’m the first in line and the object is a lovely wooden chess board. More info here: http://www.rulesandregs.org/relay11.html
Watch this space…

Very excited to be working alongside artists Steve Rosenthal, Ian Kirkpatrick, Kate Aughey, Alexandra Parry and Gordon McKenna.

Relay is a curatorial structure designed to challenge visual artists to experiment with new ways of working.

How it works:

* The twelve participating artists draw lots to determine a random order in which they will join the Relay.
* The Relay programme curator selects an initial Object to serve as the starting point for the Relay ‘chain reaction’.
* The Object is not revealed to the participating artists until the beginning of the programme, at which time it is given to the first artist to take away from the gallery.
* The artist then has a short time – about 48 hours – in which to alter the Object and return it to the gallery where it is documented and exhibited for the rest of the week.
* The next artist in the chain is then given the object to take away, alter and return for exhibition…
* The Relay continues with each artist altering the Object in turn.

My work will be on show from Tues 22nd-Sat 26th March.

Herein, the film I made during the residency, will feature in Jayne Pilling’s article for the book: Historical Milestones: Who gets to tell whose stories?

Wish I could’ve been there…

Big day is Saturday when print studio Red Hot Press will be holding their annual Wayzgoose fete with music, stalls and the Southampton Butchers hog roast & barbecue.
Blog here:
http://thearchesstudios.blogspot.com
Event info at Southampton Online’s events page
http://here

One covers the new roof terrace, a memorial garden for dancer Charlotte Kirkpatrick…

And the other signifies when events are to take place on the garden stage.

Many thanks to Alistair Chaplin of Quantum Sails GBR who designed and made the awnings, and to all at The Point for their help with installation.

More pics to come from tomorrow’s official launch…

www.frauenfilmfestival.eu

I had the fantastic opportunity to observe the BalletBoyz’ new show ‘The Talent’ in rehearsal and performance, for my research. It’s a brilliant show, and now on tour around the country. Catch it while you can:
www.balletboyz.com/store/danceschedule.asp

http://compassfestival.blogspot.com

Informed by the ideas of young people from the Thornhill area of Southampton, the film uses graphic images to communicate the potential health risks of only putting a condom on for the end of sex or taking a condom off halfway through.

Many thanks to Thornhill Plus You for helping with funding to get the project off the ground and also to all the young people in Thornhill who took part. This project is now looking for completion funding.

N.B. Please be aware that you may find some of the images in this film shocking. Not suitable for under 16s.

Please use the comments button below to let me know what you think.

Images courtesy of Jane Birkin & Laura Joy.

I’d be very grateful if you could update your address books please. Thanks!

With a selection of objects from the collection and the addition of a new series of photographs and site-specific drawings, the exhibition takes on a new and different flavour in its new setting.

If you missed it at the museum, or would like to see it again, please come along to the private view on Friday 24th July, 5-7pm. All welcome!

Hartley Library, University of Southampton, University Road, Southampton, SO17 1BJ
023 8059 5000

Map here: http://www.multimap.com/s/hvN0Vl3I

Here’s the lowdown:

This selection of artefacts from the Museum of Archaeology’s collection has been curated by artist and award-winning film-maker Alys Hawkins, to run in parallel with Grayson Perry-curated Unpopular Culture at Southampton City Art Gallery.

Responding to objects in the archive whose origin is unknown the artist has produced a series of large-scale drawings which explore and interpret the items; attempting to divine what lives these artefacts might have had, and asking visitors to imagine what stories they might tell us if only they could speak…

Call 023 8091 5732 for details of a family workshop and an artist’s talk.

Access: stairs to first floor. No toilets. Museum entrance fee: adults £1.95, children & concessions £1, under 7s free.

Winkle Street, Southampton SO14 2NY

Tues-Sat 10am-4pm, Sun 1-4pm. Closed on Mondays. Last admission at 3.30pm.

www.southampton.gov.uk/leisure/localhistoryandheritage/museums-galleries

Huge thanks to Jabez and Zain from Squeeze18 events services for their good humour, help and hard work. Thanks too to Biz for all her assistance with the installation process. And thanks to Ben for being my right-hand man xxx.

We’re all set to install over the weekend of Sat 6th & Sun 7th. Watch this space…

and a self-portrait from a member of BOA staff!

I will be working with Ali Chaplin at Quantum Sails in Hamble, and hope to find out from him in the next week how long the lead time for the construction will be, so that I can begin to plan the next stage of this part of the project: drawing onto the sailcloth.

Here are the images of experiments with my model in the studio.

If you have any thoughts I’d love to hear them. Please drop me an email, or post a comment below.

You can listen to the programme here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/arts/frontrow/past_programmes.shtml

There’s a free exhibition of the Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef at the Hayward Gallery in London:
http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/visual-arts/productions/hyperbolic-crochet-coral-reef-37f

And then I came across Knitted Mobius Bands:
http://www.toroidalsnark.net/mkmb.html

Winners will be announced next Tuesday 20th May.

Beginning with a humble piece of A4 paper, we established that this familiar rectangle conforms in fact, not to the Golden Section ratio (0.618), but to another popular system of proportion, ‘root 2′ (1:1.414). We also discussed the Japanese ‘tatami’ proportions of traditional modular floor mats, which are a double square (1:2).

I wish I understood the numbers better, but sadly I don’t. More info in maths-speak here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_ratio

Some examples of the Golden Section in renaissance art and modern life:

I’m sure you’ll recognise who made these before and after drawings:

Thanks to all who made it.

You can listen to pieces of his music on his website at www.alexisbennett.co.uk

Please do make comments here by clicking the button below to let me know what you think…

Designs for the artwork itself are still at the early stages: I’ve been taking lots of photos as well as building a scale model which allows me to play with different ideas around the concept, suggested by Kim, of a spinnaker. Almost certainly there will be a configuration of sails, with drawings on them including those you’ll make in the upcoming workshops. Next job on my list is to pick the brains of a friend of mine who’s a sail designer and maker.

I’ve heard already from staff that the atrium can get very hot in sunny weather, and I’d like to incorporate a way to improve that into the design. Are there any other considerations you think I should know about? All suggestions and ideas are most welcome…

The idea of the square silver pieces is that they’ll hang from wires and reflect the sunlight as they move, mimicking the reflection of sunlight on the water. I made this test with Tetra-pak juice cartons (silver on the inside) and hung it up in my studio window, which faces south just like the glass wall of the atrium. Much to my delight the pieces dance constantly without any breeze, but presumably from the rising hot air as the sunlight pours in. I’ll be interested to see if they move as much on a dull day.

Today is the deadline for returning the disposable cameras. The box to put them in is on the low table in the break-out area. I can’t wait to see those pics!

Corporate Finance invited me to come and see their new ‘exhibition’: a series of colour portraits of one member of the office at ‘work, rest and play’. They explained to me how the nature of their work breeds a feeling of camaraderie… I’d say this is my first insight into the nature of different departments at BDO.

P.S. This is no April fool!

Sadly, there are not enough people to run today’s gallery visit, the first of the ‘Your Space’ workshops.

It’s a shame since the show closes on Sunday, so we won’t have an opportunity to re-schedule it for a later date. It shows the work of the Systems Group, who make abstract paintings based on mathematical systems. I have the exhibition catalogue -if anybody would like to borrow it please let me know.

Info about the show here

Jeffrey Steele, Square in Cinematic Rotation through 90 degrees, 1960

Or click here

I’m thinking about colour: trying to work with the BDO palette and to find sources of these colours within the building, e.g. the blue lino in the kitchen on the second floor. I’ll bring in my scanner so I can start ‘sampling’ these colours where I find them. Then I’ll be able to use the colour ’sample’ including its texture in the animated film.

Anybody got suggestions for other colours in the palette?

Grey and wet today. I’ve been finalising the plan for the workshops which will begin in a couple of weeks. There are three strands:

Drawing from Observation

A series of structured drawing sessions for beginners, re-learners and the frightened.

Playing with Space

Using a variety of three-dimensional materials these are informal sessions for experimenting and exploring.

Art & Numbers

Some visual theory, discussion and practical exercises exploring the relationships between these two worlds…

The timetable will be circulated soon.

www.discoversouthampton.co.uk/showsoff/

City Art Gallery
Civic Centre
Commerical Road
Southampton
SO14 7LP
Telephone 023 8083 2730

Thanks to City Eye.

I’ve been asked to help shoot a video message today for tax partner Stuart Lisle, who’ll be away skiing when next week’s Budget Breakfast takes place. We managed to get it right after only a few takes! I’d have loved to make it more theatrical with costumes and special effects. As it was, we made do with his ski goggles for a gag at the end…

Shot time-lapse of people moving through the atrium, with light and clouds changing.

Shot more time-lapse through the windows of the break out room. Not so successful this, since there’s little change in the light and little movement but for the tide going out making the boat appear to be sinking!

12pm
Photographed ice when sun came out. Ducks looking comical. Sun didn’t last long.

Much to my delight a few people came up to chat this morning: about the project, about photographs they’ve taken, some ideas about how ‘numbers’ people will engage with creative and visual activities.

I fear this may be the end of the nice weather, so I’ll get outside and take photos of the outside of the building, plus the ducks…

More info at www.cfsindia.org/festival

This compilation was released at Annecy in June of this year, and includes 10 films in total.

I’ll be there Monday-Thursday, getting stuck in to the tartiflette!

www.annecy.org

www.art-action.org

http://imaginingourselves.imow.org

The piece was commissioned by Tony Raven in 2005 following a group show at the Hartley Library, and comprises six panels 3.2 x 2.6m each.

Get in touch if you’d like to go and see it.

Programme info at www.culture2culture.at

Screening, Q&A, followed by FREE beer, soda and pizza.

Tickets $10.00 Gen. Adm. / $6.50 Students/Groups/Pioneer Members
Purchase online at www.twoboots.com/pioneer or call 212-591-0434

* I am told the Pioneer Theatre serves the best pizza in Manhattan -which must be saying something!

www.resfest.at

www.art-action.org

A screening of all four AIR films commissioned in 2005 will take place on Saturday October 28th from 4.30 – 6pm

www.plotonline.co.uk/flip

www.a-i-r.info

Open 11th August – 6th October 2006

Wednesday to Friday 11.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m.

Saturday to Sunday 12 noon to 5.00 p.m.

www.bargategallery.org